Volvo: white residue in oil, head gasket, costly repair

Question
Ray,
I checked my oil and found a white residue mixed with the oil on the dipstick.  Is this a sign of a bad head gasket.  It's a 1997 850 turbo wagon.  Is this a costly repair.

Answer
Tom,
That might also be condensation in the oil. That happens when a car does not get driven enough to heat up the oil and burn it off. Are you loosing coolant? If you are then there is a possibility of the head gasket has gone bad. Keep an eye on the coolant, and if you are not loosing any give the car a drive on the freeway for about 50 miles to see if the white residue goes away.